


Howards Diaries

by MezInWonderland



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluffy, Getting Together, M/M, lil bit angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-24 09:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MezInWonderland/pseuds/MezInWonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve asks Tony if he can look at some of Howards old diaries. Tony works on some designs and puzzles over his feelings for Steve while Steve pores over the books</p>
            </blockquote>





	Howards Diaries

“Tony, do you have any of Howard’s old diaries?” Steve knew he was pressing his friendship with Tony but he thought they’d progressed far enough into their friendship for Steve to ask this.

“Yeah. Yeah I do. Why?” Tony was shocked at the request but found it hard to deny Steve anything. Steve’s face had closed off when he had asked why though. _Stupid Tony. Of course he won’t tell you._ “Sorry no, you don’t have to tell me. I just wondered. Sorry. Yeah you can have them. I’ll find them. Now. I’ll go.” Why would Steve need stuff about Howard. They’d talked over what he’d been like to Tony when he was young, talked to death why Howard wasn’t the same man Steve had known. He thought Steve believed him, had changed his opinion. But no. Apparently not. He pushed himself off the chair and turned to leave the room, not looking at Steve. He was sharply pulled back towards Steve.

“Tony. Stop being stupid. You’re my best friend and nothing I read will change that or how I think about Howard now. But I’d really like to see how life continued after I.. well you know.. after I left.”  Tony felt guilty once more however the smile on Steve’s face let him know that he was forgiven. Twisting his wrist in Steve’s grasp, he grabbed his hand and started pulling him off to his labs.

“Come on, I’ll take you down.” He’d kept them because they had useful information in, no matter what his father had been like to him, he was a very intelligent man and Tony wasn’t going to not use information in spite. He had kept them down in a dark corner of his lab however. He didn’t want to have to see them or to think about them. The last time he’d accidently come across them, before he moved them, he ended up sending repulsor beams into every piece of glass in the lab in anger.

He’d changed since then though. He knows he has and he knows it’s because of Steve. Steve forced him to open up but at the same time made him want to. Wormed his way into Tony’s life to an extent where Tony doesn’t ever want him to leave. And that should worry him. Because Tony, well he can’t say he knows this feeling, but he knows the symptoms. Butterflies when you see them, heartache when you don’t, a smile constantly threatening his face in their presence or whenever they’re mentioned, never wanting to deny them anything and never wanting to let them go. He knows what it is and he’s not stupid. Steve can’t know though. Tony has never found a friend he wants to keep so much and if he’s being honest he now has a whole group of them. But Steve. Poor Steve. Tony is never letting him leave.

“Tony, you’re awful quiet.” Steve squeezed the hand of Tony’s he was still holding, sending a jolt down his spine.

“Sorry Steve, I was just thinking.”

“Tony, you don’t have to come down here with me. Jarvis can help. I’ll understand.”

“No, I want to take you down, I’ll leave you in peace once you’re sorted though.”

“Or.. Or you could stay.” Steve sounded hesitant and Tony heard him take a deep breath. “Stay. With me.” He stopped but Tony could almost feel him get embarrassed, convinced he was too demanding. “If you’d like I mean. Please.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist Cap, I’ll stay.” He grinned at Steve lavishly, trying to lighten the mood.

“I don’t wear panties. I wear Iron Man boxers.” Tony knew Steve was teasing, the cheeky grin on his face as proof of that, but damn if that didn’t send Tony’s blood rushing south.

“Shut up.” Tony blamed the lack of blood in his brain on his inability to form a good response. He pulled Steve into the lift downwards and they stood in silence until Tony broke it claiming, “That’s just proof you want me on your body!” They stared at each other until Steve broke down laughing, Tony following not long after. “Better late than never,” Tony gasped out in between his breaths.

“You’re an idiot. Come on.” Now Steve was the one pulling him towards his lab, typing in the access codes, walking around like he owned it.

“I knew I should never have given you those codes. And you waste it on stupid things like trying to get me to surface to eat and drink. Next thing I know you’re going to be down here installing a bed for me.”  Steve looked like he was considering it so Tony hurriedly added, “No. No Steve I will change the codes.”

“And Jarvis will just tell me the new one. Someone has to look after you.”

“And what Steve? You drew the short straw?” Tony sulked.

“Tony, I want to. I mean, I wish you didn’t do it. But I care about you and I don’t want you to get ill.”

Tony didn’t really know what to say. He was getting better at the emotional thing, but he didn’t want to screw up.

“They’re in here Steve. This box and that one.  They’re in order of dates from when you were still around to when he died. Go crazy. I’ll be here.” He pointed to a desk where he had some plans laid out for Steve’s shield improvements.

“Thank you Tony.” And he just sounded so sincere that Tony had to leave and get away from those puppy dog eyes boring into his.

“No problem Spangles.”

Tony left him to it. He could hear Steve pulling things carefully out of boxes and leafing through them before putting them back. He wondered what Steve was looking for, wondered if Steve would tell him. He turned his attention back his drawing. He’d wanted to change Steve’s shield for a while but Steve had always said no. He’d hoped it was a sign of their friendship when Steve turned around one day and said _Tony, could you maybe do something to the handle on my shield? When you have time of course._ Well that had led to an hour long discussion on what Steve wanted doing, leading Tony to here, a painstakingly carefully drawn picture with plans so precise he was almost surprised at himself, until he remembers it’s for Steve.

He doesn’t realise he’s lost himself in what he’s doing until a voice in his ear startles him.

“Tony this drawing is beautiful. Is this for me? For my shield?” Tony turned around on his chair to face Steve who was taking a place on the bench opposite.

“Yeah it is. I was going to work on it tonight. If that’s okay with you?”

“Well..” Steve looked guilty and so Tony steeled himself for rejection. “I was actually wondering, if you wanted to go out tonight.. for dinner.. with me?”  Tony stared at him, mind racing. _Like a date? As a thank you? What?_ “Don’t feel pressured or anything! I just thought… obviously not. Sorry Tony. Yeah you can have my shield.”

“You thought what?” He hoped he didn’t sound insensitive but he was confused.

“Well I just thought, like you’ve been helping me an awful lot and you always have time for me and you’re so handsome and you make me happy and I look after you, I just thought I could take you out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. Tony. I’d like to take you out.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t have to say yes I mean.. huh.. Okay? You’ll come out with me?” Steve looked so pleased with himself that Tony couldn’t help but grin.  
“Yes Steve, you can take me out.”

“That’s great Tony! Just neat. I’ll pick you up at 7 okay? From your room.” Now Steve was just sitting there fidgeting excitedly so Tony asked.

“The books? Did you find what you wanted?”

“Yeah, I mean I guess so. I saw a photo of Peggy at her wedding. That was nice. And I saw a picture of baby Tony, which was cute. You were a chubby baby. I just wanted to look. That’s all.”

“Excuse you! I was an adorable baby!”

“Yes you were. But you’re gorgeous now.”  
“Save the sweet talk for the date Cap.” Tony winked. “Now leave. Come on. I have to get ready.”

“Tony it’s 2 o’ clock!”

“It takes time for perfection.”

“You’re perfect already.” Tony blushed deeply.

“Bye bye Steve.”  
“Okay! Okay I’m going!” He laughed. “See you at 7 Tony.” And with a wink, Steve was gone, leaving Tony in his lab blushing and lacking words. 


End file.
